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Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Carey Mulligan who plays Daisy – the 'girl' in the epic love story The Great Gatsby.Image courtesy of wahingtonpost.com

The recent release of The Great Gatsby movie has inspired a resurgence of 1920's fashion. The movie is set to be released in New Zealand soon, and I cant wait! The glamour and decadence of the art deco period is truly dazzling. Think fur, diamonds, pearls, champagne and everything glitzy and sparkly. It is such a gorgeous and glorious decade, I'm pleased that it has made a comeback in fashion.

The "roaring" 20's were a period of social liberation and the fashion and style of the day reflect that excitement and optimism post World War 1. Its the decade that women became allowed to vote and of prohibition (in the USA) which arguably spawned a legendary surge of organized crime and a whole other movie genre.For fashion the flapper look is what immediately comes to mind; the headband, drop waist dresses, feathers, sequins and a healthy heaping of flashy accessories of diamonds and pearls topped off with fur. Its great to take some cues from this trend, but to avoid looking like you're heading to a costume party I wouldn't put it altogether at once. For tips on how to wear faux fur check one of our latest posts.For interiors the same thing goes, the look and feel of the time is of extreme opulence and lavishness. So over the top detailed accessories like chandeliers, gold, silver and bronze, most things reflective and shiny perfectly fit this sort of style. Also think strong graphic designs in wallpaper which have a very distinctive sleek look.

The star burst mirror and clock are classic art deco along with graphic and decorative wallpaper.
Check this lovely flapper outfit with the turquoise and yellow, very complimentary colors. The headband with feathers along with the long pearls are totally flapperish
Interior image courtesy of skonahem.com
Outfit image courtesy of stylegirljessjames.com

Deep emerald green totally captures the essence of this rich period in time. Alison Williams from GIRLS wears a very strong structured almost architectural dress with distinctive art deco period contours.
Interior image courtesy of habitusliving.com
Outfit image courtesy of blog.mangomuseevents.com

Check this modern take on an art deco chandelier, gives a nod to the past but with a modern and contemporary edge. This headband with pearls and feather again ticks all the 1920s glamour boxes, but teamed with a more subtle dress make it more contemporary and less costume like.
Interior image courtesy of design-byproxy.com
Outfit image courtesy of 3d-memoirs.com

Bold and graphic designs like this black and white wallpaper epitomize the art deco period. This dress worn by Blake Lively is so sexy and contemporary, but she wouldn't have looked out of place at one of Gatsby's parties nearly a century ago, timeless beauty.
Interior image courtesy of etsy.com
Outfit image courtesy of sewinglovers.blogspot.com

The darker side of art deco elegance, shimmer and style. Simple but elegant and timeless.
Interior image courtesy of habitusliving.com
Outfit image courtesy of becomegorgeous.com

Glittering, sparkling, diamonds, silver and sequins, as long as it is shiny and reflective its right on our Great Gatsby brief!
Interior image courtesy of decorati.com
Outfit image courtesy of applebaummd.com

Satin and gold, the perfect opulent pairing for this rich and luxurious interior. Kept modern with the white floorboards, contemporary cushions and mixing in with the Moroccan pouf. Sequins and sparklers, how could you talk about the Great Gatsby without mentioning fireworks!
Interior image courtesy of homebunch.com
Outfit image courtesy of Visit pinterest

Graphic wallpaper and art deco style mirrors along with a mirrored vanity, modern yet classic. Carey Mulligan looks so stunning and demure in this pic, the soft pastels are also a strong fashion theme to emerge from this trend. How do you get those finger waves? Try the tutorial here.
Interior image courtesy of Visit decorati.com
Outfit image courtesy of newyorkdress.com

Rich style with rich colours - black, white and gold make for a truly lavish combination that screams DELUXE. Appropriate to bring out these big guns for a special room or outfit for a special occasion.
Interior image courtesy of lifeandstyleonadime.blogspot.com.au
Outfit image courtesy of thebeautyagenteurs.com

Now straight out of the movie, some stunning images to really demonstrate how plush and splendid this trend is...

Leonardo is so hot in that suit, surrounded by the decadence of those cakes and flowers its a great image.
Image courtesy of cinemastyle.blogspot.co.nz

Saturday, 11 May 2013

I am in love with faux fur! Sometimes I get a really strong sense for a trend and after styling a shoot recently I had that 'I want it' moment with faux fur. It was a fur stole to be exact but the model happened to be wearing a vintage dress of mine for this particular shot and that dress combined with the photographers 'prop' - a faux fur stole just took it to a whole other level. so I've been in love with the idea of faux fur ever since. So much so that I've dedicated this whole post to it!

Faux fur in an interior sense (or faux anything) is always hard to get right as it can come off looking too fake or just plain inappropriate for the setting. I think the key to getting above this wee challenge in any case is always to go for quality and that doesn't necessarily mean spending exorbitant prices from a high-end boutique but merely thinking outside the box, looking in secondhand stores or online auction sites. If you were wanting to create your own faux fur stole for instance, just visit any second hand store for a fur collared jacket and choose one that would be easy to disassemble the collar from the jacket as often this is easy to do. See the tutorial I have posted below from Transient Expression.

Fur collars are so luxe - so they can really take what would otherwise be a non differential jacket or dress to something that oozes interest and sophistication. They also photograph well. I especially love the idea of contrasting textures - as in leather and fur. We are coming into Winter here so I'm always looking at ways to make the transition cheaply (as in using what I have) while giving people a new perspective. This year that new perspective might just be a faux fur collar or accent.

I love these leopard print accents above. I think the interior designer has done a great job of staying under the line of being too OTT by keeping everything from the lampshades to the furniture both light, sleek and modern so that the personality of the print can shine.

Despite the fact that one of the bedside lamps is on the bend in the pic above (only just noticed this!) I really like (again) that everything is white and light in the bedroom above and yet the faux fur animal print bed spread gives it a warm, inviting and interesting feel. Imagine how much colder the room could feel without it! We have a guest room that gets no light during the day so everything is going to be light and white but I'm worried about the room looking cold, so this is great inspiration for that bedroom!

In fashion, as with interiors. One solid contrasting colour (think black, white, red) is all you need and then your faux fur jacket, throw or collar will do the rest. I mean, how chic does this woman look in all black and leopard. This kind of look never gets old in my book. Actually this also demonstrates another tip, that if you want to look coordinated from top to toe, try matching your shoe to an accent colour that you're wearing, (the less predictable the better). She has chosen the nutty brown of the middle of the leopard print to accent in her heels. She could have gone black but I love the contrast here.

In a funny coincidence, my husband and I are trying to declutter 10 years worth of personal belongings and we uncovered a shaggy fur throw from 5 years ago that I fell out of love with but you'll be pleased to know I am so in love with it again. I guess because we are in a new place but I can see so many new possibilities for it in our interior space so 'it stays'.